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2. Girl Anachronism – Dresdon Dolls
3. Arch Enemy – Soul of a New Machine
4. Manowar – Battle Hymns
5. Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
6. Metallica – Ride the Lightning
7. Nightwish – Dark Passion Play
8. The Rasmus – Dead Letters
9. Sisters of Mercy – Vision Thing
10. Alice Cooper – Welcome to My Nightmare
11. Black Sabbath – Paranoid (if I had room I'd put the first four Sabbath Albums)
12. Judas Priest – British Steel
13. Blind Guardian – Tales from the Twilight World
14. Blind Guardian – Nightfall on Middle Earth
15. Iron Fire – On the Edge
16. Mezarkabul - Unspoken
17. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Abbitoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
18. Megadeth – Peace Sells…but who's buying?
19. Skyclad – The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea
20. Burzum – Filosofern
21. Bathory – Blood, Fire, Death
22. Opeth – Blackwater Park
23. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
24. Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation – Mighty ReArranger
25. Venom – Black Metal
26. Leave's Eyes – Lovelorn
27. Kamelot – Karma
28. Mad at Gravity – Ressonence
29. The Who – My Generation
30. Skepticism – Stormcrowsfleet
31. Alice in Chains - Dirt
32. Bob Dylan – Time out of Mind
33. Johnny Cash – American IV – When the Man Comes Around
34. Johnny Cash – The Hits/Best of (this is the only best of I'll include, because it really, really is impossible to chose)
35. Suzi Quatro – Suzie Quatro
35. Pantera – Cowboys from Hell
37. Iron Maiden – Powerslave
38. Ensiferum – Iron
39. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads
40. Dio – Holy Diver
41. Lordi – The Arockalypse
42. Apocalyptica – Amplified//a decade of reinventing the cello (okey, I lied, this is the second best of)
43. Hammerfall - Chapters
44. Finntroll – Jakten's Tid
45. Dreamtheater – Images and Words
46. The Cure - Disintigration
47. Sigur Ros - Takk
48. N. U. T. E – Cyborg Resistance
49. Nightwish - Oceanborn
50. Symphony X – The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Agree? Disagree? Want to ask me what the hell I was thinking? What are yours? Comment away
It's a busy time for Bookbogan. She's writing an ebook for http://www.hollylisle.com/ (an exceptionally informative site and store which bookbogan highly recommends), getting ready to launch her website, plan her wedding to Cantankerous Drummer Fiance (Soon to be Cantankerous Drummer Husband), managing CDF's band, working on keyboard songs for her band, practicing swordfighting, working on her second draft of Seekrit Steampunk Squirrel, editing a friends book, writing her Rhodes Scharship application, and generally being a big ball of mess and chaos.
Bookbogan promises to treat her blog with more respect. She will update more often, with more interesting content, and more book and CD reviews (as opposed to NO book and CD reviews at the current state).
Just let her get through this week. Plzzzzzzz?
PS. http://www.lolcatbible.com/ if you don't know already.
Tomorrow, book reviews. I promise. Or, if not tomorrow, by the end of the week.
Seekrit Steampunk project is progressing nicely, currently at 35,533 words of an estimated 50,000 for first draft. a Nano sized novel of hopefully superior quality. final draft should be 60k+, and finished by June if I have any say in the matter. I've already written a stellar query letter and compiled a list of potential agents. i can't wait to get this baby out there.
I was going to blog about something serious, and then I saw this
Although, that the fifth and sixth photos are stuff I actually would wear, minus the sacrificial goat, of course :)
...or would I?
Listening: Blind Guardian – Twist in the Myth
Rejections: none so far today.
I'm writing an article at the moment about Heavy Metal and Tolkien. The idea arose from some reviews of Tolkien-themed metal bands I did for the local Tolkien society magazine. It struck me that had the man been alive to hear Blind Guardian, or Battlelore, or Summoning, he'd probably have hated them. And yet their music stirs the hearts of millions of fans who adore Tolkien's work.
Right, so I have come to the conclusion my query from Paragon must absolutly STINK. We're talking CDF's socks stinking here. We're talking Bookbogan's flattie after 3 hours of swordfighting stink here. And my In League with Satan query probably isn't much better.
So, I'm wondering if anyone out there, published or unpublished, vampire savvy or no, english speaking or no, human or no, badger or no, who would like to take a look at my query and tell me why it sucks. I'd be happy to repay you with cookies, or by critiquing something of yours that you are stuck on, or anything else that your heart desires. I would also like to post my query on my blog ith your comments (annoymous if you wish) so that anyone else wandering through the blogosphere (I love that word) who happens to turn up here might take example with my stupidity and not make whatever mistake it is that I am so obviously making. (30+ agents, 3 different attempts at a query letter. No requests. 99% form letters).
Ensiferum - Iron. Great album, especilly if you love double bass. The drumming is so simple but so effective, right at the front of the mix where you cannot help but hear it. Heavy on the toms and bass and light on cymbol, really atmospheric and cool. Layered with the guitars really well. Just simple, effective riffs you really want to, well, dance too. I love folk/viking metal. Shame about the lead singers voice, sounds like he's hoiking half the time, but otherwise, fantastic album. Just thought I'd slip that in there.
Smell you later - bookbogan
Currently Listening: Iron Fire – Revenge
Rejections: one today
Under the cut are my ten tips, mostly assembled from my own experiences, and inspired after reading this article by Jerry Oltion on the SFWA website. Thoughts? Comments? Things I’ve left out? Feel free to comment.
Currently Listening: Necromantia – Iron Maiden covers
Rejections: none so far today
I’m working on a non-fiction book proposal at the moment, still about my favourite topic, heavy metal, but I’ll keep mum about that until I’ve fleshed it out a little more. Suffice it to say that it will MELT YOUR FACE.
Flogging the Quill critiqued my opening chapter today. I’m quite happy with what was said, and I’ve rewritten again to incorporate some of their advice. This is quite a good blog actually, written by an editor turned unpublished fiction writer who critiques first pages if you send them in. Seeing so many first chapters together like this actually helps you realize what works/doesn’t work with your own.
Things White People Like. My new favourite blog of all time. It’s all true!
My Six Pack Fey Story (currently titled LitterFey) is coming along nicely and clocking in at 4100 words. I think I’ll end up pushing the 10k mark, which will be unusual for me, but if it doesn’t sell I’ll flesh it out to 30-40k and try to sell it as a YA book. I think it’s a good story but I know the caliber for this competition is high. But I’m writing something I’ve never written the like of before (YA, fairies, serious rather than humourous, rich description), and building my body of work, so that’s important.
I’m starting a new feature here on the blog: Kiwi phrase of the day: it will probably grace the top of my entries along with my music and reading and rejection stats. Today’s phrase is brought to you by Durex condoms and tiny pink booties: ‘dropping the sprog’ – having a baby. This always makes me think of Judas Priest, which is strange, cuz it’s not like Rob Halford will ever have babies. “Dropping the Sprog, Dropping the sprog! Dew Dew!” C’mon, you all know the tune.
Isn’t it odd that the entire fashion of the heavy metal subculture, a homophobic, tough-guy fashion if ever there was one, was actually invented through one gay man’s love of BDSM shops?
I promise, promis PROMISE that there will be a serious post tomorrow. About books or bogans, I haven’t decided, but it will be serious.
CDF and I just got back from our pre-honeymoon in Australia, we had a wonderful time, which is just as well as we spent all our money and now can't afford an actual honeymoon :).
awwwww, cantankerous drummer fiance, how long-suffering you are!
Listening: Battleheart (now called Alestorm) – Nancy the Tavern wench. Pirate metal ahoy!
Rejections: none so far. One article accepted for Vision magazine, though.
I finished the Paragon edits on Friday, and shipped that off to HarperCollins. I’m not daring to hope too much, but more likely then not I’ll come away with some more helpful advice. I’ll keep looking for an agent, as well.
In League with Satan had a reject from Drystel and Godriech on the partial, but that’s okey. Still hanging out on the other agent with the full. Now that one I am hoping for!
I’m floundering a little. There are a couple of
I'll get there in the end. I aim to have both these novels written and edited by the end of the year. I've never had to do this much research before, so we'll see how that goes.
Currently listening: Sigur Ros - Takk (it's funny how with Sigur Ros, I have lots of favourite songs, but I know them all as 'number six on Takk' etc, because I can't remember the titles. Same with Finntroll.
Currently Reading: Collectors guide to swords of the medieval period
Rejections today, just one
Romance: It's being swept off your feet feeling. Flowers n' shit. What is it about Romance that makes us love it so much? For me, it's that somewhere in this person's busy day they were thinking about me and how to make me feel special. Romance is and should be very personal. This is another reason why I don't celebrate valentines day - it's too impersonal.
Romance occurs from one person to another. Romance is from someone to someone else. And because you've created characters from different backgrounds, with different ideas, hopes, dream and experiences, their ideas of Romance will be completly different. Hello, conflict!
Currently listening: The Rasmus - Hide from the Sun
Reading: nothing, as I only finished Tithe today, but I've ordered some books off Amazon, so hopefully they arrive soon
Rejections today: 2
On Valentines day I wrote an uber long and humourous and useful post about Chemistry and Romance, and then somehow, I deleted it. And I didn't write it in word first like I normally do, so it's gone forever :(
So I've tried to summerise it here, but it won't be the same. Trust me, the other one was much better.
Currently listening:
Rejections this week: 11
With Love in the air, and couples on the pier, and climate change to fear, and pancakes with caramilised pear...ahem, it's valentines day tomorrow. Or approximately tomorrow, depending on where you live in the world.
I've never much liked valentines day. I think the concept is really cool, a day to show yor loved ones just how much you care. That you became a bloodthirsty zombie tomorrow, that you'd give them a running start. Commercial or nay, it's still cool.
The high school years are about the time you start noticing boys, and therefore Valentines day. At our school you could have flowers delivered by the prefects to the classrooms, and even though I was the most ugliest, weirdest, most oddball kid, I remember every time a classroom door opened with bunches of those roses, I got my hopes up a little that maybe one would be for me. But no. Hello angst, my new best friend.
The one boyfriend I had in high school (who was an exceptionally sweet guy who's heart I stomped over in a sordid tale of revenge and peanuts, but that's a WHOLE other story) I never celebrated Valentines Day with, so he doesn't count.
Enter university, and boyfriend number two, who was never a big gift giver. I rather pride myself in making or selecting highly personal gifts that people will remember. B2's idea of a well thought out gift was this cellphone conversation the day before Christmas:
"Which DVD do you want? Manowar or Ozzy Ozbourne?"
"Manowar, of course."
"Awwww, but Ozzy's cheaper..."
I got Ozzy.
He had a total crush on avril lavigne then. For one valentines day I rewrote the words to one of her songs so it was about us (possibly with references to zombies. I can neither confirm nor deny), dressed up in an avrilesque outfit, got a friend to take pictures of me making an ass of myself jumping on top of my sister's car and pretending to smash my guitar, and made the whole thing into a big card. I got an unenthusiastic "Oh..." and he brought me a chocolate bar.
Now I have CDF (cantankerous drummer fiancé) and he told me right from the beginning that I will never get a present from him on Valentines Day. "I intend to make you feel loved every day," he said "and if that isn't enough, you can sod off."
Awwwww!
So we've never celebrated VD, and we won't this year either, and I absolutly love it.
But enough of my flower-induced angst. Tune in tomorrow for a discussion about romance and fantasy books that will MELT YOUR FACE!
Reading: Katie McAlister - Stag Party
rejections: 5
For anyone reading this blog, just to let you know an article by bookbogan entitled 'Well-Stocked Larders: the food and diet of Hobbits' will appear in Monday's issue of Strange Horizons.
Check it out on here
Iron freaken Maiden tonight! full review will arrive on the blog when I've recovered.
2) ten things I did on holiday
3) ten R-rated things I did on holiday :)
4) reasons you can tell a book was written by me
5) ten adventures I've had whilst driving
6) an analytical discussion of why metallers should read urban fantasy
7) an analytical discussion of why urban fantasy writers should listen to metal
8) a dissection of my query letters (this is, of course, pending success)
9) some blah about folk metal
10) a blurb about my upcoming publications
Reading: Holly Black - Tithe
I'm doing this for two reasons: 1 When I can't think of anything to write about the list method is an excellent fall-back, and 2) part of the reason I started this blog is to promote metal to fans of Urban Fantasy and vice versa, so I should start with my own backyard. Now, without further aplomb:
Warbeast - unfortunately broken up, but this is only temporary, for one terrible gig and a small army of fired band members can't quash the epicness of New Zealands pirate metal lords of doom! Famed for blatent Manowar worship and their lead singer (a mate of mine) has the most beautiful hair in all of New Zealand.
Dawn of Azazel - I'm not their BIGGEST fan, but you have to admire these guys for their efforts on the international scene. It's basically three guys (or is it four now?) and some groovy brutal death cum black metal groove. Their drummer pulls some interesting snare patterns, eldritch tuning on guitars. Well-representative of the New Zealand 'sound' as a whole.
8 Foot Sativa - Never the same thing twice with these guys! That's because every New Zealand metal musician has been in 8 foot, and so they can't play half their early, more popular songs anymore because none of the original members remain. They deserve hails for having the brutalist bunch of MUNTS as devoted fans.
Cripple Mr. Onion - they actually have Terry Pratchett's permission to use that name, how kreig is that? Sound like Tool with Testicles, Opeth with actual discernable riffs. Fucking fantastic bunch of guys as well. They used to reside in Christchurch but have recently moved to Auckland where everyone isn't married to their cousin.
Savant - also broken up, and not "technically" metal, hard-rock band Savant have this amazing thundering bassline and a killer lead singer. If you like a bit of melody mixed with your riffage, Savant's album 'Nothing Sacred' is where it's at.
Alpine Fault - probably not considered metal by the elitists, but meh to them. Alpine Fault are a five-piece - guitar, bass, vocals, drums, keyboard and electric violin. Their vocalist sounds like James Hetfield. They do have an EP on their website, but it's a bad mix and doesn't do them justice at all. Alpine Fault soundslike...hmmm, Metallica's S&M with an actual decent drummer? Beethoven with Balls? Kreig with keyboards? Again, for the fans of melody.
Ulcerate - Death metal, best metal drummer in New Zealand. Nuff said
Human - gore metal from Christchurch. Famous for these groovy songs with titles like "Night of the living Bread", "Home Necronomics" and "Paytoilet of Despair" (a veritable hit in NZ). We've been saying for years that the south is a squalid land of filth and degredation, and these guys prove it. Although, they recently opened for Dragonforce, so they don't entirely suck.
House of Capricorn - doom sludge with an extra layer of swamp slime. vocalist has a very commercial sound, and some killer riffs. Their debut EP is seriously one of the better sludge albums I've ever heard, ever.
Trial by Fire - Sadly broke up in 2006 after their EP was released. Thrash metal, seriously fucking good thrash metal, with just killer riffs. You should've seen the headbanging at Trial gigs! Vocals aren't the greatest (their vocalist is a mate of mine, great guy, amazing guitarist, but vocals aren't his strength) but give them a chance. You won't be dissappointed!
Currently Reading: Bernard Cornwell - The Winter King
I brought a corset! woot!
It is pretty and has green damask and black lace. It's from Gallery Serpentine
